The 'Three Extraordinary Houses' are Purposefully Vulnerable

Homes exist for the purpose of providing their inhabitants with a place that feels safe and comfortable, but 'Three Extraordinary Houses', a project by artist Kiyoto Ota, aims to subvert that invulnerability. The three conceptual model homes are expressly designed to make living in them an uncomfortable, unpleasant experience.

The first of the three homes, called Empty House, is equipped with powerful fans on the sides that suck the air out of the interior, making it difficult to breathe. The second, Rain House, has an open roof that constantly rains water on those inside. Finally, Alice's House has only a single staircase that narrows and seems to shrink as people walk through it, conveying a sense of claustrophobia.

Thankfully, Ota intends for the houses to exist only as sculptures — there are no plans to build them out as actual places for living on a daily basis.